Damian Lillard expected to miss 1-2 weeks with calf strain

Thursday update: Lillard is expected to miss 1-2 weeks with the calf strain he suffered Wednesday against the Heat. The Trail Blazers will re-evaluate him in that time period.

Thursday update: Lillard said after Wednesday’s game he is unlikely to play Friday with the calf strain. This injury typically takes at least a few weeks to fully heal depending on the severity, and the Blazers will likely be more cautious considering Lillard’s injury issues last season.

Update: It’s actually a calf strain for Lillard, and he’s not returning to Wednesday’s game. Hopefully it’s a minor issue Lillard can get over in a few days but the Blazers are going to be cautious and hold him out for the rest of the game.

Portland Trail Blazers star point guard Damian Lillard went to the locker room in the second half of Wednesday’s game against the Miami Heat with an ankle injury. Lillard appeared to twist his ankle and will get it looked at.

Lillard has been on fire this season and is a big reason for Portland’s undefeated start. The guard was averaging 33.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game entering Wednesday’s contest. As of this writing, he has 22 points, two rebounds and two assists against Miami.

The Trail Blazers entered this game with a 4-0 record and look to be on track to at least contend for an automatic playoff berth. Portland shuffled the roster around Lillard with an eye to compete and it is paying off so far.

If Lillard is out for a while, look for Anfernee Simons to run the show with Shaedon Sharpe potentially getting more minutes in the backcourt.